What was the deal with Circumcision in the Bible?

The Abraham character, in the bible,
shows many of the symptoms
of obsessive, compulsive disorder (O.C.D.)
and, perhaps schizophrenia
(hearing the voice of an imagined god).

It is not at all rare for O.C.D. sufferers
to mutilate their bodies,
especially their genitals.
And many O.C.D. sufferers
try to enlist others
to feel the importance
of the compulsions they feel.
I think this is how a religion got started
that included genital mutilation of boys.

Eventually, the obvious fact of circumcision
became a tribal identity marker.

--
Regards,

John Popelish

The 'deal' with circumcision is detailed in the Bible book of Genesis chapter 17, where God commanded Abram and the males in his household to be circumcised. Why? "Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you." (vs 11)

Once you find out what the covenant was all about, you will know the 'deal', as verse 13 hints at, "My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant."

However, once the New Covenant was established in Christ's shed blood, the sign of circumcision had been fulfilled. This is explained in Romans 2:28-29 "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code."

Physical circumcision is no longer required - our hearts have to be cleansed, by the Spirit. Speaking of how Christians belong to the symbolic 'body' of Christ, we read, "So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink... Now you are part of the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

In the Bible, circumcision is a sign of being part of the covenant people, Israel, but baptism is a sign of being part of the covenant people, Christ's Church (His symbolic 'body'). Literal circumcision is for those in the old covenant; baptism is for those in the New Covenant.

its not so much to do with baby jesus now but more to do with western greed for the dollar! the Drs are brain washing parents simply to charge more and earn more! now that's crazy!

It was for hygiene purposes.

I don't know about the Bible but hygiene have to do a lot with circumcision.

Nothing

It is a form of primitive magic, a symbolic sacrifice and marking. Like docking a dog's tail.